Image sensor module for camera device

ABSTRACT

An image sensor module includes a circuit board, an image sensor, and a supporting board. The image sensor is electrically connected to the circuit board. The circuit board defines a through opening therein. The supporting board is arranged on one side of the circuit board and includes a protrusion. The protrusion extends outwardly from the supporting board and includes a square-shaped block no larger than the image sensor. The square-shaped block passes through the through opening. The image sensor is mounted on the block and spaced from the circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of patent application Ser.No. 12/013,916, filed on Jan. 14, 2008, entitled “IMAGE SENSOR MODULEFOR CAMERA DEVICE”.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a camera device, andparticularly to an image sensor module of the camera device havingimproved position precision.

2. Description of Related Art

In recent years, digital cameras and digital video cameras are inwidespread use and are provided with an image sensor module to providean image-capturing function.

Referring to FIG. 7, a general image sensor module includes a circuitboard 90 and an image sensor 91 arranged on the circuit board 90. Aplurality of circuits 92 are printed on the circuit board 90. The imagesensor 91 is either a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or acomplementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. A light receivingsection is formed on a top side of the image sensor 91. Contactterminals 93 of the image sensor 91 are electrically connected to thecircuits of the circuit board 90 by soldering. A number of pads (notshown) thus are formed between the contact terminals 93 of the imagesensor 91 and the circuit board 90. During operation of the camera,circuits of the light receiving section of the image sensor 91 aredriven at a high speed frequency to transform image signals intoelectrical signals. The electrical signals are then transferred to thecircuit board 90 through the contact terminals 93 of the image sensor 91and the pads of the circuit board 90 to control focusing of the camera.

However, the pads formed on the circuit board 90 usually are differentfrom each other. In other words, the pads have various thicknesses. Thusthe image sensor 91 arranged on the pads is usually aslant. When theimage sensor module is mounted to a lens module, the light receivingsection formed on the top side of the image sensor 91 is aslant. Anoptical axis of the image sensor module is offset from an optical centerof the lens. Thus the image of the image sensor 91 usually generatescoma aberration, which results in distortion of the image.

Therefore, a new image sensor module for the camera device is desired toovercome the above described shortcomings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described in greater detail hereinafter, byway of example only, through description of a preferred embodimentthereof and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric, exploded view of a first embodiment of an imagesensor module.

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the image sensor module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image sensor module of FIG. 2taken along line

FIG. 4 is an isometric, exploded view of a second embodiment of an imagesensor module.

FIG. 5 is an isometric, exploded view of a third embodiment of an imagesensor module.

FIG. 6 is an isometric, exploded view of a fourth embodiment of an imagesensor module.

FIG. 7 is an isometric, assembled view of a related image sensor module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of an image sensor module 100includes a circuit board 20, an image sensor 10, and a supporting board30. The image sensor module 100 can be used in a digital camera or adigital video camera to provide an image-capturing function.

The image sensor 10 is either a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or acomplementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, which iscontrolled by a central processing unit (CPU, not shown). The imagesensor 10 includes a top surface 13 and an opposite bottom surface 12. Alight receiving section 11 is formed on the top surface 13 of the imagesensor 10. A number of signal output terminals (not shown) are formed onthe bottom surface 12 of the image sensor 10. When the image sensormodule 100 is mounted to a camera, during focusing of the camera,circuits of the light receiving section 11 of the image sensor 10 aredriven at a high speed frequency to transform image signals intoelectrical signals. The electrical signals are then transferred to theCPU. The CPU compares the image from a lens of the camera with the imagein the image sensor 10. As the lens moves to a position where the imageis the clearest, a stop signal is simultaneously sent to stop movementof the lens of the camera. Thus focusing of the camera is achieved.

The supporting board 30 is made of metal or plastic. A top side of thesupporting board 30 forms a planar-shaped supporting surface 34. Aprotrusion extends upwardly from a central portion of the supportingsurface 34. A concave 33 is defined in a bottom side of the supportingboard 30 corresponding to the protrusion. In this embodiment, theprotrusion is a block 31. The block 31 has a planar and square shapedtop mounting surface 35. An area of the mounting surface 35 is smallerthan that of the bottom surface 12 of the image sensor 10.

The circuit board 20 has a plurality of circuits printed thereon. Theimage sensor 10 is electrically connected to the circuits of the circuitboard 20. A square-shaped through opening 22 is defined in a centralportion of the circuit board 20 corresponding to the block 31 of thesupporting board 30. The through opening 22 is the same size or a littlelarger than the mounting surface 35 of the block 31, and smaller thanthe bottom surface 12 of the image sensor 10.

When assembled, the circuit board 20 is mounted on the supportingsurface 34 of the supporting board 30. The block 31 extends through thethrough opening 22 of the circuit board 20. A height of the block 31 isgreater than a thickness of the circuit board 20, and thus the mountingsurface 35 of the supporting board 30 is higher than the circuit board20. The image sensor 10 is arranged on the mounting surface 35 of theblock 31, and the signal output terminals of the image sensor 10 areelectrically connected to the circuits of the circuit board 20 throughwire bonding or surface mount technology (SMT). Before mounting theimage sensor 10 to the block 31, an adhesive layer 40 is applied on themounting surface 35 of the block 31. The adhesive layer 40 can be madeof thermosetting adhesives, ultraviolet (UV) light sensitive adhesivesor black adhesives. The image sensor 10 is thus adhered to the block 31by the adhesive layer 40. Because the block 31 of the supporting board30 is higher than the circuit board 20, the image sensor 10 mounted onthe block 31 is higher than and spaced from the circuit board 20, andthe connection of the image sensor 10 and the circuit board 20 no longeraffects positioning of the image sensor 10. When the image sensor module100 mounted to a camera device, the light receiving section 11 formed onthe top surface 13 of the image sensor 10 is horizontal. An optical axisof the image sensor module 100 overlaps an optical center of the lens ofthe camera. Thus coma aberration of the conventional image sensor moduleis avoided, resulting in accurate image-capturing.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the image sensor module 200. Similarto the first embodiment, the image sensor module 200 includes an imagesensor 10, a circuit board 50, and a supporting board 60. The differencebetween the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that theprotrusion formed on the supporting board 60 includes a pair ofsupporting members 61. The two supporting members 61 are identical toeach other, and are arranged on a central portion of the supportingboard 60 parallel to each other. A distance between the two supportingmembers 61 is less than a width of the image sensor 10. A top of eachsupporting member 61 is at the same level as that of the othersupporting member 61, and thus the supporting members 61 have the sameheight relative to the supporting board 60. The circuit board 50 definesa pair of elongated through openings 52 corresponding to the supportingmembers 61. Each through opening 52 is the same size or a little largerthan the supporting member 61. When assembled, each supporting member 61extends through one corresponding through opening 52 to support theimage sensor 10 thereon. A height of each supporting member 61 is higherthan the thickness of the circuit board 50, and thus the tops of thesupporting members 61 are higher than the circuit board 50. The imagesensor 10 mounted on the supporting members 61 is higher than thecircuit board 50 and thus is spaced from the circuit board 50. Theconnection of the image sensor 10 and the circuit board 50 no longeraffects positioning of the image sensor 10, and thus the image senor 10can be accurately mounted to the circuit board 50.

Referring to FIG. 5, the image sensor module 300 according to a thirdembodiment is shown. The difference between the third embodiment and thefirst embodiment is that the protrusion formed on the supporting board70 includes three supporting members 73, and the circuit board 85defines three through openings 75 for extension of the supportingmembers 73 therethrough. The three supporting members 73 include a pairof parallel first supporting members 731, and a second supporting member732 arranged between and non-parallel to the parallel first supportingmembers 731. A front end of the second supporting member 732 is locatednear a front end of one first supporting member 73, and a rear end ofthe second supporting member 732 is located near a rear end of anotherfirst supporting member 73. The three through openings 75 of the circuitboard 85 also include a pair of parallel first through openings 751 anda second non-parallel through opening 753. After assembling the imagesensor module 300, the image sensor 10 is arranged on the threesupporting members 73 and thus is spaced from the circuit board 85. Thesecond supporting member 732 is configured for increasing contact areabetween the image sensor 10 and the supporting board 70, and thusimprove stability of the image sensor 10.

FIG. 6 shows the image sensor module 400 according to a fourthembodiment. Similar to the third embodiment, the image sensor module 400includes a circuit board 87, an image sensor 10 being electricallyconnected to the circuit board 87, and a supporting board 70 arrangedunder the circuit board 87 for supporting the image sensor 10. Thesupporting board 70 forms three supporting members 73, which include apair of parallel first supporting members 731 and a second non-parallelsupporting member 732. The difference between the fourth embodiment andthe third embodiment is that the circuit board 87 only defines onesquare-shaped through opening 77 for all of the supporting members 73extending therethrough. It is to be understood that the block 31, thesupporting members 61, 73 are configured for supporting the image sensor10 thereon, the shape or number of the block 31 and the supportingmembers 61, 73 can be varied according to the size of the image sensor10.

It can be understood that the above-described embodiment are intended toillustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made tothe embodiments and methods without departing from the spirit of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims beconstrued broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of thedisclosure.

1. An image sensor module comprising: a circuit board defining a throughopening therein; an image sensor electrically connected to the circuitboard; and a supporting board arranged on one side of the circuit boardand comprising a protrusion extending outwardly from the supportingboard, the protrusion comprising a square-shaped block having a size nolarger than that of the image sensor, the block passing through thethrough opening of the circuit board, the image sensor being mounted onthe block and spaced from the circuit board.
 2. The image sensor moduleof claim 1, wherein the block has a planar top mounting surface, theimage sensor is positioned on the planar top mounting surface.
 3. Theimage sensor module of claim 1, wherein an adhesive layer is appliedbetween the image sensor and the block, the adhesive layer being one ofthermosetting adhesive, UV adhesive and black adhesive.
 4. The imagesensor module of claim 1, wherein the protrusion extends from a centralportion of the supporting surface, a concave is defined in a bottom sideof the supporting board corresponding to the protrusion.
 5. The imagesensor module of claim 1, wherein the through opening is the same sizeor larger than the block, and smaller than the image sensor.
 6. An imagesensor module comprising: a supporting board comprising a supportingsurface and a protrusion, the protrusion extending upwardly from thesupporting surface, the protrusion comprising at least one square-shapedblock; a circuit board arranged on the supporting surface of thesupporting board, the circuit board defining at least one throughopening for extension of the at least one square-shaped blocktherethrough, a thickness of the circuit board being smaller than thatof the at least one square-shaped block; and an image sensor arranged onthe at least one square-shaped block, the image sensor being spaced fromthe circuit board and being electrically connected to the circuit board,the image sensor covering the at least one square-shaped block.